Our CEO Harris Diamond noted something in his congratulations speech about understanding the economic crisis that we are all living through. I thought it was worth repeating on my blog. He said: “We can take some comfort from a Japanese poet’s words of wisdom: ‘Since my house burned down / I now have a better view / of the rising moon.”’” The quote is thoughtful reminder that out of crisis rises opportunity. My fellow colleague Tomo said it was haiku. A good one at that.

[Note: Mizuta Masahide was a samurai in the Zeze domain of Ohmi Province. Masahide initially studied haiku first under Shohaku but later became a disciple of the famous poet Basho. In 1688 Masahide’s house was burnt down, prompting him to write his most famous haiku Barn’s burnt down… This haiku is said to have been highly praised by Basho.]

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Leslie Gaines-Ross

lesliegainesross@gmail.com

As Weber Shandwick’s Chief Reputation Strategist, I focus on the ever changing world of reputation. For the past 25 years, I have relentlessly observed, researched and commented on the rise and fall of reputations.